Chapter Summary: The strongest muscle actions we are aware of in singing are those at the sides and back. Good posture and breathing are essential to having a free vocal production. An efficient and natural supply of air is needed for voice production. Our posture greatly affects our breathing mechanism and it's important to know that the diaphragms function and motion is influenced by posture. To breathe freely the body needs good alignment. Breathing low means not to heave with your shoulders and chest, it doesn't mean to pooch out your pregnant belly. Being soft, the viscera need to be contained by the abdominal muscles to provide a solid base against which the diaphragm can create a full compression. Good breathing is a matter of breath management, not breath control. This means that breathing should be practiced independent of tone production to understand fully what the breath is doing. The goal of good singing is to use the greatest economy of air.
Key Concept: Good breathing requires good posture. The two cannot be separated. Breathing should be practiced and understood independently of tone production.
Key Terms: proprioception
kinesthesia
supplemental, residual, complemental, tidal volume
vital capacity
Making Connections: I've done many of these postural exercises with Cindy and they have helped SO MUCH in fixing my posture and helping my to feel more relaxed and free in my body. I'll need to try some of the other exercises in this chapter to continue to find areas of my body that I'm still tensing and need to be aware of.
No comments:
Post a Comment